â┚¬Å”You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.â┚¬Â — Annie Dillard
I've written here before about my listless struggle to find new traditions at Christmas in the wake of my mother's passing â┚¬â€œ now in its fourth year â┚¬â€œ and I'm afraid there is nothing new to report there. In fact, this year I kind of greeted the whole shebang with a shrug, much as one might regard a pile of leaves that you know need to be taken care of, but there's no rush.
What has always been a constant for me, though, is the turn of a new year feeling like a chance for a fresh start. I know I'm not alone in that feeling. My birthday falls on January 17, perhaps not fast on the heels of the new year, but close enough to remind me that I have the aforementioned opportunity. This year I'm turning 45, a marker that, for who knows what reason, holds importance in my head, so I'm having tons of â┚¬Å”new meâ┚¬Â thoughts.
In that spirit, the last set of Ripples of 2011 will give us all ideas for how to make the best out of 2012. I hope you'll click, be inspired, and pass them along. That last part â┚¬â€œ passing them along â┚¬â€œ is the most important, that's where the rippling comes in.
Bit by Bit
52×52.org
Donating nearly $3000 in one lump sum isn't possible for a lot of people, but what if it I broken down into donations of $52 a week for the year? That's the concept behind 52×52.org where you can make the commitment to give weekly to charities in increments of $52, $25, or $10. Wisely the site also shows you other people who have made the commitment â┚¬â€œ you're more inclined to give when you see a familiar face.
Step by Step
Antiresolution
I kind of love this site. The idea is that so many of us give up on new year's resolutions because we make broad goals. With Antiresolution, you get suggestions for small steps, along reasons why that one step will be important. You can imagine how it works: the small step is successful and you begin to tackle other aspects, eventually reaching that big goal of losing weight, or putting down the smokes for good.
No by No
30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself
Like a host who is presenting a dish he received from his favorite restaurant that you're sampling for the first time, I'm going to lay this Ripple in front of you to devour. You'll find this one delicious for one simple reason: it's all here. Everything you need know to improve yourself in 2012 and beyond. Have a readâ┚¬Â¦eat it up.
ԚÂÂ
